THIS is a look at the people who were associated with the canal in Burnley in the 19th Century.

The longest serving canal agent at the Manchester Road Wharf was Thomas Goodchild. He was the agent of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company from 1860 to 1890.

Thomas Goodchild was born in Bradford in 1821. He was the lock keeper at Barrowford from about 1850 until 1860 when he replaced his brother James Goodchild as the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company agent in Burnley.

James Goodchild had been sacked due to inefficiency.

In Burnley, Thomas Goodchild and his wife and children lived firstly in the house that stood next to the former warehouse at the Wharf.

As he was the agent of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company, Goodchild was the wharf master. He had the responsibility for collecting the tolls from the canal boats at the toll house and controlled access to the canal yard. From 1801 until 1878 the upper storey was added to the building. In 1878 also the house in Manchester Road that stands close to the Toll House was built. Goodchild and his family were the first occupants of this new house.

Thomas Goodchild was known as a very genial and kind man. He was a member of Brunswick Methodist Church which stood on the site of Chaddesley House in Manchester Road.

Two of Thomas Goodchild's 11 children were clerks to their father in the toll house. They were his sons James and Thomas Goodchild. Another of his sons William Goodchild kept a very popular confectioners shop at 81 Manchester Road from 1871 until 1923.

When Thomas Goodchild retired in 1890 he was succeeded as agent and Wharf Master by his assistant John Turner. Thomas Goodchild died in 1891 at the age of 71.

The toll house and Thomas Goodchild's home from 1878 until his death now form the Weavers' Triangle Visitor Centre.

Charles Crabtree was born in Burnley in 1802. In about 1829 he became a canal agent to a goods carrying firm. From about 1832 until his death in 1846, Crabtree ran a passenger boat service to Blackburn on the canal. In 1834 the service was running on three days a week. In 1845 though it was operating only Sundays. After about 1840, Crabtree also ran his own goods carrying service.

Charles Crabtree's wife Isabella was the younger sister of the important cotton manufacturer George Slater. Isabella died in 1872 at the age of 63. She and her husband Charles Crabtree are buried in St Peter's churchyard.

Next to Sandygate Bridge there used to be a house. This house was the home of successive canal bank rangers from about 1855 until about 1914.

The house was built in about 1840. George Slater had Slater Terrace built almost opposite this house in about 1844.

John Wormwell was the canal bank ranger for the Burnley part of the canal from 1858 until 1903. As canal bank ranger John Wormwell had the responsibility of keeping the canal towpath in Burnley in reasonable condition. He had help from a few assistants. he had a small stable for his horse near Sandygate Bridge.

John Wormwell was a married man with two daughters. he died in 1909 at the age of 76.